Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Towards Revolution: Stamp Act

In the vast tracts of land in the west of the Atlantic, different
activities were bustling. From religious, to scientific, to economic
activities, the New World had become a flourishing colony of Europe. The
Spaniards, the French, the Dutch, and more importantly, the British had
established stakes within the new continent. The British in particular were
keen in maintaining and benefiting from its holdings in the Americas. Through taxation and as a market for
British goods, British Imperial Policy would bring the American colonies into
revolution. A year after the passing of the Sugar Act in 1764, the British
Parliament once again imposed another tax to the American colonies, the Stamp
Act. This tax would engulf the colonies in fury against those in London.

After the arduous Seven Years’ War in Europe and the French and Indian
War in the Americas, Great Britain was in a dire situation. The war had drowned
the Kingdom in debt, amounting to about £130 million. In addition, the burden
in maintaining an army in the Americas were also becoming a burden. £350,000
were required in order to maintain an army of 10,000 in the American colonies.
Great Britain was in a huge financial constraint. Its citizens were the second
highest tax rates in Europe. Each Britons paid 26 shillings.

In desperation, the government of Prime Minister George Grenville had to
look for new sources of income. They saw in form of the American colonies who
were taxed lower than those in Britain, just a half to one and a half shillings
per American colonial. In 1764, the Sugar Act was the first tax imposed after
the French and Indian War. It was meant to improve tax collection of molasses.
It also imposed strict compliance and a new style of judging smugglers, from a
jury to a judge in a vice-admiralty courts in Nova Scotia.The tax sent shock waves to the colonies. Politicians and merchants alike protested against the taxation of American colonist without them being
represented in London. Also, they were furious of the change in the system of due
process. Trial by vice-admiralty was expensive and troublesome because of the
travel.

Following the Sugar Act, in the following year, Grenville’s government
imposed a new tax to the colonist. If the Sugar Act was meant to strike on
imports, the new tax was aimed on items used by the colonials in the colonies. It
required payment of taxes for stamps in papers that would be use for
newspapers, customs documents, licenses, diplomas. Also, it required stamps on
land titles, land transfer documents, wills, playing cards. Moreover, almanacs
and pamphlets were mandated by the act to have stamps. The government expected
that it would answer almost 20% of the cost of maintain a British force in the
Americas.

Great Britain would be surprise of the huge outcry about the taxes. In Britain,
since 1695, Stamp Act was already in place. And so they thought that the
Americas would not made so much fuss. To their disappointment, colonials from
all walks of life were angry. Lawyers were furious as they have to pay for
papers that they will need for their practice. Traders were equally in raged
for the additional cost they had to pay for their customs duty. Farmers were
also in rage as they too must pay extra to have their titles or land transfer.
Intellectuals were also infuriated as taxes were imposed in their books,
pamphlets, newspapers, and almanacs. Because of the taxes many colonials showed
disgust and contempt to those in London.

Many forms of resistance to the taxes were formed from 1765 to 1766.
Politicians in their colonial legislature push for condemnation of the Stamp
Act. In the House of Burgesses in Virginia, Patrick Henry pushed for a
resolution in opposition against the Stamp Act. Following Virginia’s call,
eight other legislature also condemned the Stamp Act.

Resistance group also were formed against the Stamp Act. Some of them
were militant and even violent. For example, in Boston a grouping of middle
class businessmen and artisans called the Loyal Nine was formed. Their
activities were aimed against tax collectors assigned by London to enforce the
law. They thought that before the act took effect in November 1, if all tax
collectors and stamp distributors resigned, then the law would not take effect.
Among the most notorious victim of the Loyal Nine was Andrew Oliver. Oliver’s
house was attacked, ransacked, and burned by the militants. Lieutenant Governor
Thomas Hutchinson tried to control the situation, restore order, and helped and
protect the tax collectors. Although personally against the taxes, Hutchinson’s
house was attacked by the Loyal Nine and burned. Protest, effigy burnings, harassment,
and coercion became the major activities of the Loyal Nine.

In the fall of 1765, another group emerged and became popular across the
colonies. They were called the Sons of Liberty. They opposed the Stamp Act and
wanted tax collectors to resign. However, unlike the Loyal Nine, the Sons of
Liberty showed discipline and order in their protest. They made sure that no
riots or house burning or any violent activities would happened with their
rallies.

Boycott also became common activities. Merchants and students called for
a boycott of any goods made from Britain. They realized that much of British
export earnings came from them. And so, they planned to bring Britain into recession
to repeal the Stamp Act.

In October of 1765, another major political protest underwent. A Stamp
Act Congress was convened in New York. It was comprised of representatives from
other colonies. Nine colonies attended the Congress. The Congress made clear
that the Parliament in London that believed in virtual representation had no
right to impose any taxes and only the body directly representing the
colonials, in form of legislature in the colonies had the only right to tax
those living in the New World. The Congress called for the repeal of the Stamp
Act.

Before the end of 1765, tension continued. Most of the tax collectors
and distributors of stamp had already left their post. Officials loyal to
London refused to work without the specially stamp papers. Customs was the most
affected. The strike of officials did not last long when they were faced with
no pay and with lawsuit from merchants who threatened them to be legally
responsible for any loses they would incur.

But what brought down the Stamp Act was not caused directly by colonial
reaction. In July 1765, King George III lost faith to George Grenville.
Grenville was forced to resign. The Marquis of Rockingham then became Prime
Minister. By early 1766, opposition against the Stamp act became louder both in
the colonies and in London. Former Prime Minister William Pitt voiced his
criticism of the Stamp Act. Petitions were filled to repeal the Stamp Act in
London. With pressure mounting, the British economy close into recession, in
March 1766, the Stamp Act was formally repealed.

The Stamp Act was another scheme by the Parliament to benefit from the
colonies. This, however, failed as a result of the tenacity and loudness of the
American colonies led finally to the repeal of the law. It caused a humiliating
defeat for the British Parliament. But the Parliament would not back down to
tax the colonials. A year later, the Parliament would once again attempt to
impose a tax to the American colonies. It would lead to further tensions and later
would turn bloody.See also:Sugar ActTea ActTownshend ActBibliography:Brinkley, A. American History: A Survey. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995.

Boyer, P. et. al. The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2010.

Clack, George (ed.). Outline of US History. Washington DC: Bureau of International Information Program, 2005.